Amid severe cold weather, 13 shelters for homeless in Noida’s GB Nagar

Thirteen shelters for the homeless have been set up in Greater Noida and Noida in anticipation of a cold wave, with arrangements made for drinking water, toilets, beds, and blankets. The shelters are free for the destitute, daily wagers, and others in need. The weather department has forecast dense fog and temperatures of around 10 to 20 degrees Celsius until January 2.

In anticipation of a cold wave, 13 shelters for the homeless have been set up across Greater Noida and Noida, said officials from both the authorities said on Friday. Seven of these have come up in Greater Noida, while six others are in Noida.

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The officials added that adequate arrangements have been made for drinking water, toilets, beds, quilts, blankets mattresses, among others, adding that every shelter house has varying capacity to accommodate people. Besides, each of them has arrangement for lighting bonfire, and a security personnel for their safety.

“The destitute, daily wagers, needy people, among others, can avail the facility free of cost during such intense cold weather conditions,” they said.

In Greater Noida, such homes have been set up at seven place — GIMS hospital in Kasna, P3 wedding hall, Habibpur village in Ecotech 3, Surajpur Dadri road near Tilpata village, Sector Delta 2, Sadopur, and Pari Chowk pink toilet.

“Considering the cold wave that has gripped the region…arrangements have been made in parts of Greater Noida,” said Himanshu Verma, officer on special duty, health department, Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority.

In Noida, the shelter home facility has been made available under work circle 2, 4, 6, 8, 9 and 10. “These have come up at Sector 21 A Noida Stadium, Sector 62 community centre, Mamura village wedding hall, Sorkha village Jahidabad, community centre at Gejha village, Shahdara and Kondli village,” said Noida authority officials.

Speaking to HT, an elderly Santosh Kumar, who takes refuge at times at Mamura village shelter facility, said “Last year as well, people were arriving here to take shelter.”

“However, we need to see how will it go once the number of people taking shelter increases,” he said.

Meanwhile, both maximum and minimum temperatures further plunged on Friday in Gautam Budh Nagar while a thick layer of fog engulfed.

The weather department has forecast that similar weather conditions will prevail with the possibility of dense fog till January 2, with minimum and maximum temperatures hovering around 10 degrees Celsius and 20 degrees Celsius, respectively.